Fraser's Ridge
Fraser's Ridge is a tract of land in western North Carolina, which covers about ten thousand acres. Its proprietor, Jamie Fraser, lives there with his extended family, and by 1779 there are over 60 tenant families living on the land. History When Jamie and Claire arrive in Wilmington, they discreetly set about finding a buyer for one of their gemstones, in order to turn its value into cash that they can use. While in town, Jamie encounters a cousin-by-marriage, Edwin Murray, who happens to be the secretary of Governor William Tryon's wife, and Jamie manages to secure an invitation for Claire and himself to dine with the governor. The true goal of the night is to persuade a wealthy German guest at the dinner to purchase the gemstone, but after the rest of the guests have left the party, the governor has a private conversation with Jamie (on which Claire eavesdrops) about another matter: an offer of a land grant in the North Carolina wilderness where, under Jamie's sponsorship, tenant families would be induced to settle and work the land. It's an offer not without its drawbacks. As Jamie explains to Claire later, the reason the governor might make such an offer to Jamie so soon after meeting him, might include the fact that Jamie is a soldier by nature and experience, and having someone like Jamie with a certain amount of control over remote areas of the colony, where unrest has already bubbled up in the past, would be very beneficial to the governor. Jamie also notes that, even though the governor waved off the fact that Jamie is Catholic and the law allows only Protestant men to hold such land grants, this would be a sort of leverage the governor holds over Jamie – as long as Jamie complies with what the governor wants of him, there's no problem, but if Jamie doesn't, the governor could easily use it against him. In late summer of 1767, Jamie and Claire travel through the wilderness for a suitable place to settle, if they were to accept Tryon's offer. By September, they begin building shelter in the form of a one-room cabin, in which Jamie, Claire and Young Ian will live through the winter. They also construct two sheds, one for storing and curing meat, and another for Claire's herbs and other foraged goods. By late 1770, the Ridge had more than thirty families inhabiting the land under Jamie's sponsorship. The Cabin Jamie starts building a one-room cabin that will shelter him, Claire and Young Ian in September 1767. The cabin's hearth is blessed upon arrival of John Quincy Myers and Duncan Innes, and the cabin is finished later that month. In early September 1769, when Brianna surprises both of her parents with her arrival, Jamie sets to work building an additional room onto the original cabin while the construction of the new, much larger house on a hill nearby is yet to be finished. The Big House Jamie starts to build the Big House in the summer of 1769. In early September, he goes to Cross Creek to buy glass windows for the house as a surprise for Claire. The foundation for the house is laid and the rooms are marked out. Construction of the house is delayed by several months following the tumult of rescuing Roger from the Iroquois. Upon their return in early summer of 1770, Jamie continues work on the house, his progress spurred on by the cramped, tense conditions in the small cabin. By autumn it is complete, a two-story "modest frame house, white-washed and shingle-roofed" with glass windows. On December 21, 1776, the house is burglarized by Wendigo Donner and a group of his accomplices. They break one of the containers with Claire's highly flammable ether. When Young Ian lights a match, the house goes up in flames and burns down overnight. Current Residents *Jamie and Claire Fraser (since 1767) *Brianna MacKenzie and Roger MacKenzieBrianna arrived on the Ridge in autumn of 1769. Roger joined her in summer of 1770. They left with their children in October 1776, and returned in summer of 1779. **Jeremiah MacKenzie **Amanda MacKenzie *Germain Fraser (1768–1774; since 1779)Germain moved with his family to New Bern in 1774. He returned to the Ridge with his grandparents Claire and Jamie in late spring of 1779. *Ian Fraser Murray and Rachel MurrayYoung Ian lived on the Ridge from 1767 to 1770, and returned in 1772. Ian married Rachel Hunter in 1778, and they settled together on the Ridge in 1779. **Unnamed son (born 1779) *Jenny Murray (since 1779) *Frances Pocock (since 1779) Beardsley/Wemyss *Lizzie Wemyss Beardsley (since 1769) *Josiah and Keziah Beardsley (since 1770) **Rodney Beardsley **Daughter (born March 1777) **Son (born ca. 1778) *Joseph Wemyss and Monika Berrisch Wemyss Ardsmuir Men and their Families *Evan Lindsay and Mrs. Lindsay **Grace **Hugh **Caitlin **Bobby † *Kenny Lindsay and Rosamund Lindsay † *Murdo Lindsay *Ronnie Sinclair *Geordie and Margaret Chisholm **Geoffrey **Charley **Thomas (born 1762) **Anthony (born 1764) **Toby (born 1765) **Twin boys (born 1767) *Robert MacLeod and wife **Rabbie MacLeod **Other children *Alex MacNeill *Robin and Ute McGillivray (since 1771) **Manfred McGillivray and HepzibahManfred left the Ridge in June 1774 (A Breath of Snow and Ashes, chapter 46). In 1775, he returned with Hepzibah, who is his fiancée or wife (chapters 105 and 112). **Hilda McGillivray **Inga McGillivray **Senga McGillivray Fisher-Folk from Thurso On arrival in 1773, the emigrants from Thurso numbered twenty-two families, with seventy-six individuals. *Hiram and Mairi Crombie *Grannie Wilson † *Buchanans *Orem McCallum † and Amy McCallum HigginsAmy McCallum married Bobby Higgins in late 1776. **Aidan McCallum **Orrie McCallum (born 1773) *Padraic MacNeill and Hortense MacNeill † **Angelica † **elder daughter *Abernathys **Old Grannie Abernathy **Young Grannie Abernathy **Arabella Abernathy ("Grannie Belly") **Hugh Abernathy **Jocky Abernathy *Maisie MacArdle and former boatbuilder husband **Six children *Seumas BuchanGreat-uncle of Maisie MacArdle. Spelled in the books incorrectly as "Seaumais". Other Residents *Billy and Ruth Aberfeldy **Ruth Aberfeldy *Peter Bewlie and his Indian wife *Mrs. Coinneach *Theo FryeOwner of the smithy. *Obadiah, Anne, and Kate Henderson *Bobby Higgins (since 1776) *Isaiah Lachlan **Jacky Lachlan *Gordon Lindsay Betrothed to a Quaker girl from Woolam's Mill. *Mr. and Mrs. McAfee **Rab McAfee **John McAfeeSpelled MacAfee in Both spellings are used throughout the novel, and it is unclear whether there is more than one family. **Twin daughter † and son *Matthew MacDonald and Mrs. MacDonald *Widow MacDowall *Mr. and Mrs. MacDuff *Nelson McIver *The McLachlans *Joey McLaughlin *Patrick Neary **Sons *Older Mr. and Mrs. Ogilvie † *Younger Mr. and Mrs. Ogilvie **Rogerina (born 1774) *Bob O'NeillOwner of a small general store. }} Former Residents *Fergus and Marsali Fraser (1768–1774) **Germain Fraser (1768–1774; since 1779) **Joan Fraser (1770–1774) **Félicité Fraser (1772–1774) **Henri-Christian Fraser (1773–1774) † *Thomas Christie (1771–1775) **Allan Christie (1771–1776) † **Malva Christie (1771–1775) † *Arch Bug † and Murdina Bug † (1770–1776) Location Diana Gabaldon has said that Fraser's Ridge probably lies within ten miles of or . It covers land north of the . Surrounding Towns References }} Category:Locations Category:Fictional Locations Category:Locations in North America Category:Estates Category:Locations in North Carolina